This invention relates to a method for hydrovisbreaking of hydrocarbon polymers, such as those polymers derived from scrap plastic articles, which after hydrovisbreaking can be further processed in a catalytic cracker.
The need for recycling of plastics is becoming increasingly apparent as many landfills approach saturation with plastics which are not biodegradable. Although current technology can produce biodegradable plastics, these biodegradable variants frequently possess inferior properties for their intended applications.
One promising type of recycling, known as "tertiary recycling", involves chemical transformation or degradation of the plastic to a new product. Further development in this area would be highly desirable, particularly with regard to development of methods capable of converting plastics, such as hydrocarbon polymers, to new products which can be further processed in a refinery.